


The Fade

by My_Beating_Hart



Series: A Mahariel's Travels [43]
Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Gen, M/M, The Fade, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-28
Updated: 2015-02-28
Packaged: 2018-03-15 16:07:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3453488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Beating_Hart/pseuds/My_Beating_Hart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Theron comes across Zevran's Fade nightmare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fade

The Beyond was every sort of cruelty, Theron decided once he was back in his own body again, staggering but adept enough now to not fall over. He supposed he could see why Morrigan rarely shapeshifted in the heat of battle, if it was as disconcerting as this.

Then again, he was a Dalish hunter with not even a spark of magic in him.

“I would have been a terrible mage.” He muttered to himself, stretching and triple-checking he had his bow and quiver again. Where they disappeared to when he turned into a mouse or… The other things, he had long since given up trying to find out in favour of saving himself a headache. Same for how they returned.

He felt the reassuring curve of wood under his fingertips, and cast a glance around his surroundings to orientate himself. Hang the demon that had sent them all here. He’d stumbled across Wynne nearly by accident trying to get back to that other mage, and quickly realised that like him the others were suffering in their own personal nightmares, but without the ability to free themselves.

Theron sighed, remembering Alistair’s.  _ That _ one hadn’t been a nightmare, surprisingly, but he could hardly allow his fellow Grey Warden to live in an impossible dream. That hadn’t stopped him from empathising. Now, if he’d managed to go in the right direction and through the right mouse holes or strange glowing portals, the one up ahead would lead to Zevran’s nightmare, and they would all be free.

Steeling himself for whatever he would see, the ranger stepped through the portal, raw magic engulfing and burning at his senses like a blast of wind until he was alone in the world, in the Beyond. The unpleasant feeling passed quickly, and Theron found his boots on firm ground again.

He cracked an eye open, and sighed in relief when he saw the unfamiliar surroundings - well, as much relief as that could give him. He wasn’t going round in circles, at least.

“Still wouldn’t like getting lost in here.” The ranger added, talking under his breath as he started forwards. He quickened his pace when he saw something up ahead, like a strange low table with two elves standing on either side of it.

“I think I saw him flinch that time.” One of the elves said to the other, smiling. Theron slowed down, frowning, and then realised there was a third person. Zevran, lying stretched out on the table. It took the ranger a few seconds to realise his wrists and ankles were bound.

“Maybe.” The other elf nodded thoughtfully, straightening up and folding his arms over his chest. “We’ll make you scream yet, apprentice.” He added, looking down at the blond elf at their mercy.

“We’re not going to go easy on you, trust me.” The first elf, a brunet, commented.

“No…” Zevran began, but the word trailed off into something Theron could only describe as a pained groan; a rarity from the Antivan. “I wouldn’t want you to hold back. I’d be disappointed if you... did.” He panted through slightly gritted teeth, looking from one elf to the other.

“This one has spirit.” The brunet was grinning again as he spoke, and Theron realised with a chill he had  _ vallaslin _ ; both the elves did. “Shame we have to break him.”

The second elf nodded sombrely, and reached for a wooden wheel next to him. He leant his weight almost casually on a spoke, turning the wheel one-handed. The ropes holding Zevran tensed, and the Antivan shut his eyes tightly as they pulled at his already stretched arms and legs. Cold horror shot through the watching ranger, which was quickly replaced by anger and a sick feeling in his stomach.

“Release him, now.” Theron snapped, a hand going to his bow. That they weren't alone seemed to surprise all three of the other elves.

“What?” Zevran blinked, trying to lift his head up to see where the voice had come from. “What are you doing here?” He asked, sounding genuinely confused despite his pain. “You’re not supposed to be… Here.”

Theron sighed, realising he would have to explain the situation a third time.

“Zevran, this is a dream, a Fade nightmare. You don’t have to endure this.”

The blond shook his head.

“I can. I just need to stay strong. This is my test. I am going to be a Crow...” He insisted, but he trailed off with another grunt of pain. “I need to show them I can tolerate pain.”

“But you’re already a Crow. How can you have forgotten?” Theron frowned. "You've already tried to kill me. Twice."

That made Zevran pause.

“What?” He repeated, and Theron tensed as he saw the two elves exchange a look. “That cannot be. But, you speak the truth? I can feel it. Is this nothing but a bad dream? A memory?”

Theron narrowed his eyes in sympathy, wondering what other memories the former Crow had of his training, if this was just one example. The brunet elf drew his finger across his throat, a universal gesture even the most reclusive of Dalish knew.

“Oh, I think he’s questioning us. Such a bad thing to do, isn’t it?” The black-haired elf interrupted, drawing Theron and Zevran’s attention.

“Yes, it is. He’ll be punished for that. Severely punished.” 

The wide-eyed look of fear that appeared on Zevran’s face, not more than a fleeting glimpse, was enough to make Theron draw his bow, to rouse his anger.

“I will kill both of you demons if you even try.” The Dalish elf replied, glaring from one to the other as he nocked an arrow. It took a moment before he realised he had a new trick up his sleeve.

Theron braced himself as the air around him grew searing hot, enough to dry the flesh on his bones and be augmented with pure fire. He tried not to think too much about it, instead letting his rage fuel the transformation into a conflagration that had the two elf-demons hesitating. No-one would hurt Zevran like this. Not anymore. 

Once the two demons were reduced to little more than charcoal and ash, Theron let the anger dissipate. He was a Dalish elf, a hunter, a Grey Warden, not some creature of the Beyond. He cleared his throat once he was grounded and transformed back, tiredly shouldering his bow as he padded over to the rack.

“You okay?” He asked as he quickly unbound the ropes, wincing as he heard Zevran’s joints pop as the blond sat up. Zevran laughed.

“It was certainly bracing.” He replied, stretching carefully before he got to his feet. “There’s nothing like a good racking, is there?”

Theron couldn’t help a startled laugh he suspected was more of shock than true amusement.

“Stay safe,  _ lath _ .” He replied, knowing once the others grew aware they were in a nightmare it was never long until they were taken away again to who-knew-where. “We’ll have to talk about this once we’re out of here.” He added, looking at the rack.

Zevran nodded, almost sheepishly, and then frowned in confusion.

“Wait, what are you doing? Where are you going?” He asked, even as the air shimmered around him. Theron sighed, watching Zevran disappear from sight. Now, perhaps he was finally able to leave the Beyond and face the demon or whoever was responsible for what was going on in the tower.

**Author's Note:**

> While writing this, I had a sudden flashback to precisely how much I /hated/ the Fade in Origins. Would have used a mod to skip it in-game, but I wanted to see the nightmares for myself.


End file.
